Known as DVD (Digital Versatile Disk) players have been ones comprising a loading device for moving a medium holding member for holding a disk from a closed position where a reproducing operation can be performed to an opened position where a medium is to be mounted and removed. Examples of the loading device are slide-type ones for sliding, when the medium holding member holds the disk in a horizontal state, the medium holding member in a back-and-forth direction and open-close-type ones for causing, when the medium holding member holds the disk in a vertical state, the medium holding member to fall obliquely. When a user presses an open key, an opening operation is performed by the loading device, so that the medium holding member is moved to the opened position.
Some of the DVD players of this type have the function of inhibiting the opening operation (an opening operation inhibiting function) by the loading device in order to prevent the medium holding member from being opened by a child carelessly pressing the open key. The opening operation inhibiting function is set and released by a method of simultaneously pressing a plurality of keys, for example. When the opening operation inhibiting function is set, the medium holding member cannot be opened unless an operation for releasing the opening operation inhibiting function is performed. Therefore, the operation for opening the medium holding member from a state where the opening operation is inhibited is troublesome.
An object of the present invention is to provide a reproducing apparatus capable of restricting an opening operation performed by loading means such that the opening operation is not performed merely by pressing an open key as well as capable of performing the opening operation even by continuing to press the open key for not less than a set time period even when the opening operation is restricted.